Better Business
Press releases from Utne Reader's advertisers

Worker B returns to their roots as beekeepers, adding raw honey to their collection of honeybee inspired products. A three-person company centered in Minneapolis, MN, Worker B found their start with local beekeepers and community-based farming.

The new Worker B raw honeys are sourced from select beekeepers chosen for their dedication to sustainable relationships with honeybees. Their honeys are never heated or filtered, preserving all the nutritional and enzymatic virtues of raw honey. Worker B is offering two individual varieties to start:

The Basswood Blend. Sourced form the glacial plains of central Minnesota, this variety is primarily from the Basswood tree blossoms, featuring bright flavor notes of mint, grass and thyme. This is the same raw honey used in Worker B’s skincare formulations.

“The key to distinct honey varietals is knowing exactly what is happening around a beehive at a specific location and nuances of the harvest season. The specificity of flavor comes directly from the forage patterns of the honeybee,” said Liesa Helfen, co-owner and founding member of Worker B. “The goal of the Worker B raw honey collection is to focus on sustainable beekeepers and the locations they collect from, resulting in spectacular flavor profiles of raw honey.”

Worker B ingredients come direct from the hive, forming the base for their Skincare, Candle and Varietal Raw Honey collections. Worker B performs all aspects of their business from product concept to formulation, from production to fulfillment. Now in their fourth year, Worker B still maintains a series of their own beehives and continues their hands-on approach to ingredient sourcing that sets them apart from traditional skincare and lifestyle brands.

This press release is presented without editing for your information. Utne Reader does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.

B Corp certification is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. By voluntarily meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, Certified B Corps are distinguishing themselves in a cluttered marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.

Today, there is a growing community of more than 910 Certified B Corps from 29 countries and 60 industries working together toward one unifying goal: to help people use business as a force for good. Ogden Publications, publisher of Utne Reader, is proud to be a Certified B Corp, and honored to join fellow Certified B Corps in speaking with one, unified voice in celebrating the B Corp approach to sustainable business.

Patagonia Announces Worn Wear, the Antidote to Black Friday

This Black Friday, when deals and discounts entice people to buy more than they need, Patagonia would like to send an alternative message to its friends, family and customers, one that explores the quality of the things we own and the lives we live.

To help drive that message home, the Malloy family (Patagonia Surf Ambassadors) have produced Worn Wear, a short film to share the stories of Patagonia customers and their beloved Patagonia gear that has stood the test of time.

No one has seen this film before today.

Worn Wear is an exploration of quality — in the things we own and the lives we live. This short film takes you to an off-the-grid surf camp in Baja, Mexico, a family's maple syrup harvest in Contoocook, Vermont, an organic farm in Ojai, California and into the lives of a champion skier, a National Geographic photographer, and a legendary alpinist. It also features exclusive interviews with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.

Released as an antidote to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping frenzy, Worn Wear is an invitation to celebrate the stuff you already own.

In addition to premiering the film in 15 retail stores on Black Friday, Patagonia will unveil its new repair program with iFixit. Together, the companies will co-publish a series of free repair guides for Patagonia clothing. Patagonia is the first apparel company to partner with iFixit in an effort to encourage customers to repair old products instead of buying new. Customers can visit the 15 select Patagonia Retail locations on Black Friday and receive help repairing an old Patagonia garment, in addition to sampling the new Patagonia California Route beer made by New Belgium Brewery.

Patagonia will also sell an Expedition Sewing Kit (MSRP $30) in its retail stores and online, complete with a machined awl made of high-quality aluminum, heavy-duty needles, various selections of thread, and patch material.

This press release is presented without editing for your information. Utne Reader does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.

Just in time for the holidays, America's Best Organics, provider of hand-curated, eco-conscious organic gift baskets, has introduced a newly designed, American-made gift box in which to present and ship its all-organic and earth-friendly gift box collections. Produced and printed in a zero waste facility in Denver, CO, the new keepsake gift box design was inspired by an original illustration from Colorado artist Matthue DeYarus.

America's Best Organics is one of 19 Certified B Corporations participating in the launch of "B the Change," a new consumer facing campaign from the community of Certified B Corporations, that celebrates and rewards people using business as a force for good. America's Best Organics included the B the Change red logo on the side of the newly designed gift box as a demonstration of their commitment to raising consumer awareness of products produced by fellow B Corporations.

Additionally, the company unveiled a new look and functionality to its website, www.AmericasBestOrganics.com, to help ease and expedite the shopper’s experience in ordering and shipping gift box collections to any location in the U.S. New features to the website include a quick buy section on the homepage, updated graphics and images, and messaging to alert shoppers that ground shipping in the US is now included in the list price.

“Our new box design reflects the essence of eco-gift giving: creativity, warmth, simplicity and recyclability. We are thrilled to introduce the new design in time for holiday orders and hope recipients around the country will be delighted,” said Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of parent company Best Organics Inc.

To view the full gift collection or to place an order, please visit America's Best Organics. For questions about the newly box design, refreshed website or gift services, please contact gifts@bestorganics.com or 303.499.6742.

About Best Organics

Best Organics Inc. is a leading provider of premium, hand-packed, organic and eco-friendly gift box collections featuring gourmet products from local, regional and U.S.-based producers and leading brands. Its gift collections are presented in beautifully illustrated, reusable gift boxes, and are available at www.AmericasBestOrganics.com, and for corporate gifting. Best Organics Inc. is a Certified B Corporation, a member of the Organic Trade Association, Colorado Proud, and Naturally Boulder, and is a Green America-Approved Business. Contact us or call 303.499.ORGANIC (6742)

This press release is presented without editing for your information. Utne Reader does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.

In the United Kingdom
it’s known as the ‘dying trade’, though it is one of the fastest growing
industry sectors in the country. Now it’s hitting the shores of the U.S.
Witness the rise of natural burial.

The idea for Final Footprint® began in 2004. I had recently returned from my native England, with a crazy idea to have natural
burial sites all over this country, as in England. Final Footprint® would
supply the biodegradable caskets. After watching Six Feet Under, I decided that
it would be possible, let passion win out over common sense, and started the
company. Frequently told I am ahead of my time, I pursued my vision;
researching, learning about natural burial, and the funeral industry in the United States.

When seeing that natural, biodegradable
caskets were not being made in the United States,
I connected with Ecoffins, one of the first natural casket manufacturers in England. I
became its sole US
distributor. I created an additional line of caskets visiting a manufacturer in
Indonesia.
Education seems to have been a major part of my business, being present at
green festivals, speaking at events, and even taking booths at industry events
to showcase natural caskets and burial. It’s a slow process. There is still too
much red tape and because the general public does not get involved in
regulations, the industry holds sway over most of the legislative issues. I
have served on the board of my local Funeral Consumer Alliance chapter in Palo Alto, CA. and am
still on an advisory committee. This is the only public advocacy group in the US with
chapters in many cities. We need more though. England has a thriving
organization, The Natural Death Center.

During my research I decided
to also learn about home funerals as I felt this was an integral part of the
dying process. Instead of giving your loved one over to strangers in a funeral
home, we should be taking care of them in their own home in their environment.
After this experience I assisted at two home funerals and it was a good
experience to see how families benefit from participating in taking care of
their loved one.

The same is just as
important when it comes to the burial. All the stories I have heard from
families, and my friend Ed Bixby, owner of Steelmantown Natural Preserve, in
New Jersey, say how incredibly cathartic it is to be able to actually perform
the burial.

Why spend millions on mining
precious metals, cutting down valuable hard wood trees, and making polluting concrete
vaults, to bury someone. It just doesn’t make sense. The equivalent of a Golden Gate Bridge is buried in our cemeteries every
year. I guess banning plastic bags is a start!

The aim of all natural
cemeteries is to keep the land as natural as possible, in keeping with the harmony
of the surrounding environment. Preserve the open space for wildlife. Natural burial sites should be used and
visited by the public, friends and relatives, just as one visits any park. Relax,
slow down, and enjoy the wonderful, natural countryside and environment.
Interring people in it after they die, is a very symbiotic process. More and
more land is being built on and this is one very beautiful way to preserve it
for wild life and for us to enjoy and then to return to.

As the famous naturalist
Aldo Leopold wrote….

“Dust unto dust in a desiccated version of the Round River
concept. . . . A rock decays and forms soil. In the soil grows an oak, which
bears an acorn, which feeds a squirrel, which feeds an Indian, who ultimately
lays him down to his last sleep in the great tomb of man—to grow another oak”.

This press release is presented without editing for
your information. Utne Reader does not recommend, approve or endorse the
products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate
products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.

This press release is
presented without editing for your information. The Utne Reader editorial staff
does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered.
You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully
before deciding to purchase.

Expanding its line of the
popular roasted green wheat, Freekeh Foods is proud to launch its certified organic freekeh
line. Recently certified by Oregon Tilth, Freekeh Foods’ organic
freekeh is a great alternative to rice or quinoa and known for its delicious
flavor and health benefits!

Often referred to as the new
superfood, freekeh’s fiber and protein combination provides a more complete
grain than most other grain varietals. With each low-fat serving of organic
freekeh providing six grams of protein, four grams of fiber and 130 calories,
the delicious roasted grain has already netted praise from the likes of
celebrity trainers Joel Harper and Kim Lyons, chef Jamie Oliver, Dr. Oz and
even Oprah herself.

“Freekeh is a staple in my
nutrition plan and I highly recommend it to all my clients,” Kim Lyons, former
trainer on The Biggest Loser, says. “The extra protein and fiber make it
superior to other grains. My personal favorite is the tamari flavor, yum!"

Along with tamari, Freekeh
Foods also offers original and rosemary sage flavors. What’s more, the
naturally-vegan, organic varieties by Freekeh Foods are easy to cook in a wide
array of delicious ways for today’s ultra-busy Americans. Some of the recipes
featured in the “30 Ways to Freekeh” cookbook by Freekeh Foods Co-Founder
Bonnie Matthews include dishes such as Freekeh Meatballs with Ground Chicken,
Vegetarian Tacos and a flavorful oatmeal alternative, Warm Breakfast Freekeh
with Fruit.

Although freekeh has long
been produced in the Middle East and Australia,
Freekeh Foods is proud to support American agriculture and is committed to
working with Organic Farmers in the US to produce a quality
product.

The NEW certified organic,
ancient grain freekeh will soon be available online on Freekeh Foods’ website
and Amazon starting at $3.99 per 8 oz. bag and is expected to hit shelves in US retailers
including Whole Foods and Wegmans in the coming months.

About
Freekeh Foods

Freekeh
Foods is the leading US manufacturer
of the all-natural, roasted green wheat whole grain known as freekeh. With
flavors such as tamari and rosemary sage, the Minnesota-based company is also
proud to be the only US manufacturer
of flavored freekeh. Due to the growing popularity of the ancient grain,
Freekeh Foods launched a line of certified organic freekeh in March 2013. Farm
to table and sustainably produced, freekeh packs six grams of protein and four
grams of fiber into every serving. The product is versatile in all types of recipes
including main dishes, sides, salads and a whole lot more.

This press release is presented without editing for your information. The Utne Reader editorial staff does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.

In 2010, Chevrolet announced that the company was embarking on a Carbon Reduction Initiative, an effort to invest $40 million in carbon offset projects across the country with the goal of reducing up to 8 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. The program includes wind, landfill-gas-to-energy, solar, efficiency, and conservation projects.